PAEDIATRICIAN:

• Postpartum Depression (2020) This Hungarian brutal death metal band has slipped under my radar despite this being their 6th full length album, and they're actually quite good. A big mixture of fast blasting parts that are a little more grindcore, and then chromatic slow parts that are the mainstay of the "brutal" subgenre. Vocals are ridiculously unintelligible, even for the genre. Lots of pig squeals, this guy's larynx must hurt after this stuff. The riffs do tend to blend together, but as a single work of art the brutality is unquestionable, the mix is tight, and I am most thoroughly entertained.
  

PANTERA:

• Cowboys From Hell (1990) The sound is razor sharp, the riffs are fresh and brutal, the leads are spectacular. The production is great, but still a little soft (wait till their next album). Pretty much every song on the album is the best song.
• Cowboys From Hell The Videos (1991, Video) 3 music videos, 2 live songs (which are well produced), and tons of home videos of the band on tour, destroying things and drinking. Not much else to say really. About 40 minutes long.
• Vulgar Display Of Power (1992) They knocked the brutality up a notch with this album. The sound is harsher, Phil's vocals are harsher, the guitar tone is enough to crush a group of things that don't crush too well (how's that for a metaphor <G>) A must buy.
• Vulgar Videos (1993, Video) 3 music videos, 2 live songs, and an extra 40 minutes (extra compared to their last video) of breaking things and drinking. I don't know, fun to watch, but do we really need to see people breaking things when we could be spending the time breaking things on our own?
• Far Beyond Driven (1994) Another must buy. I didn't think the sound could get more brutal, but it did. Phil's vocals now border on death, the sound is more industrial. The production isn't as polished as the last album, but the raw sound is so powerfully mixed you won't care. Some of the strangest sounds I've ever heard on an album (thanks to Diamond Darrell's whammy pedal)
• Planet Caravan EP (1994) 4 song EP, 'Planet Caravan', followed by 'The Badge' (previously only available on the Crow soundtrack) and then 'A New Level' and 'Becoming' live. The live tracks have excellent production, and since these are my two favorite Pantera songs, it makes this a must have EP.
• The Great Southern Trendkill (1996) Not as good as their last two albums, but this album still proves Pantera can't release a bad album (unless you count their glam days prior to "Cowboys From Hell") The songs are a bit slower and a bit more experimental, but brutality is still high on their agenda.
• Official Live: 101 Proof (1997) First, you have to keep in mind that it's physically impossible to actually replicate a Pantera concert on a CD, simply because there is no house out there with a speaker system large enough to compare with the brutal sonic onslaught you'll get hearing the band live. But this comes pretty close. The production is excellent, lots of in between song banter, the album clocks in with almost 76 minutes and 14 tracks of brutal music. Most of the classic songs are here, although I wish it had been a double CD so they could have included a few more tracks. There is no such thing as too much Pantera in my opinion. The 2 studio tracks on the album are ok, nothing special.
• Pantera 3: Watch It Go (1997, Video) Two hours of home video footage of the band on tour. There are crazy fans, sex, drugs, beer, breasts, people destroying things, people blowing things up...interestingly enough, there's very little music on the video. Four music videos and some live clips. It's entertaining to watch, but I wish they would have included some live songs. A feast for those of you with a really short attention span.
• 3 Vulgar Videos From Hell (1999, DVD) Their 3 previous videos now on one single DVD + 10 minutes of live footage from the monsters of rock tour, 3 minutes of which was already on Vulgar Videos. Good for the collector so you can have all three of their videos for one low price in a digital format, otherwise, not much point.
• Reinventing the Steel (2000) It's been a 4 year wait, and finally a new Pantera album. What has the band been doing for 4 years? Well, certainly not reinventing themselves, this cd is similar to their last cd in lots of ways, riffs, style, production, even the booklet looks the same. Not a bad thing necessarily, they were good then, and this cd goes to show the band is still doing fine, still abrasive and angry, although I do feel it's missing something. It's still a good album, I think the problem is this cd in relation to the current metal scene. It's just Pantera was unbelievably heavy, and in the last 4 years, other bands have learned how to sound even heavier, and so by standing still, Pantera now is just part of the pack instead of a leader. But all fans should still pick this up, the riffs and hooks pantera are famous for, grabbing your ears and not letting go, they're all here.

• ...A Plague Called Addiction (2007, EP) Sort of a cross between Meshuggah and Despised Icon. Or, if you know the Australian metal scene, very similar to Devolved or Synthetic Breed. The riffs are in the math metal style, lots of odd rhythms with straight 4/4 drumming overtop (the kick stays with the guitars). A super tight guitar tone gives it that computerized feel. A few of the riffs go for that death-core style that Despised Icon is known for. Vocals are low growled and then shrieked. The music also used keyboards, samples, and spacy synth guitar to give a certain degree of melody to the music, their second track 'Afflicted Days' uses it particularly well. I really dig this EP, and if you love any of the bands mentioned, you'll dig this too, my only concern is the lack of originality. The group obviously can write good riffs, they have a nice sense of melody and are they are tight as fuck, but they'll need something just a tiny bit different to stand out from their influences. Can't wait for the debut album.
  

• Incisions Of Perverse Debauchery (2008) While Disgorge was never my favorite band, I have to admit I kinda miss them ever since they went on hiatus, and Pathology has just enough of that same style to remind me of how much I enjoy good low gargling death metal. These songs are generally a little more easy to follow than Disgorge, and many of the riffs are a bit catchier, but overall it's the same general idea, super low vocals, lots of blasting and tremolo picking mixed with a few chunkier bits. Productionwise, this album was recorded during a 6 month period, and sadly it shows, you can really hear the sound waver between songs, a few have a tiny bit too much treble, and a few have a tiny bit too much bass, but overall it's good quality. My favorite song is 'Lycantropy Of Dead Flesh', it starts with a nice start / stop riff (with doublebass underneath), reminds me of old Broken Hope, and in the middle there's some nice breakdowns sorta reminiscent of Dying Fetus in it's heyday. This band may not be anything revolutionary, but it's good quality death metal and worth checking out.
• Age Of Onset (2009) After a decent but uneven first album, this album shows a lot of improvement. The production quality is even throughout all the songs (this album was only recorded in a 2 month period instead of 6). The riffs are a touch more memorable than last time, and the songs feel even more like songs, and less like a random collection of riffs. That said, the band's core style certainly hasn't changed. The biggest negative is that the album is really short, like 25min or so. Overall though I enjoyed this album for what it is, some decent songs well performed. Worth picking up.
• Legacy Of The Ancients (2010) Wow, talk about a short period between albums (although since their last album was only 25min long, one could argue that it was more of an EP). Overall, this new one is another step forward for the band. The production quality is about the same. The riffs are really, really solid, with plenty of excellent hooks, the song writing just gets better and better with these guys. Again, the album is a short one, maybe 30min this time, but the shorter length helps since there's not a lot of variety to the album. If you're into this general style of music, Pathology is one of the best in the genre currently, and this album is well worth owning.
• Awaken To The Suffering (2011) Generally similar to their last album. The production goes up another notch, everything sounds a little cleaner, and while I certainly never though of their previous album as muffled, it is in comparison to this one, which has a really excellent mix. Style-wise, nothing all that different here. Although the band does experiment with, dare I say, a deathcore breakdown in their super short 1 minute song "Prolonging The Suffering". Thankfully, no sung vocals or anything :) The songs on this one I have to say aren't quite as good as their last release, they just don't have quite as many standout riffs to hook the listener. Good quality, but I think I'll listen to their previous albums more.
• The Time Of Great Purification (2012) Man, talk about the hardest working band in death metal. At least album wise, these guys have a new CD out every single year for the last 5 years. Are they just song writing machines? Don't worry guys, if you skip a year, we'll still remember you. Anyways, with so many albums out in such a short period of time, the main worry would be that the songs just aren't as well crafted as they would be if the band took a little more time, but at least on this album, the songs are doing just fine. Plenty of good standout riffs. While the production just kept getting better on their other albums, this one just sorta takes a step sideways, which is fine, the mix is already so good I'm not sure there would be any way to move forward. The sound is a little less scooped and is a little cleaner, which makes hearing everything easier, but I think I preferred the slight grit from their last album. Stylewise, nothing's changed, they're still the same Pathology. Expect another shortish one, about 30 min with many songs being only 2 min or so. While nothing revolutionary, this is another solid album that will be enjoyed by all fans of the band.
• Lords of Rephaim (2013) It's that time of year, time for a new Pathology album! The results are excellent as usual, there really isn't much to say, the band keep producing a very similar album again and again, so if you dug their earlier stuff, you're gonna dig this. While I still wish for maybe something a little more unique or a little more variety to the songs, what you get is a solid death metal album from the most consistent band in the genre. So lets not kid ourselves and expect something else, we all know what this band does, they do it well, and here's their yearly update to the Pathology catalog.
• Throne of Reign (2014) Really, is there any reason to review this album? It's identical to their previous music in every way except how it was funded and released, since the band used Kickstarter this time. But otherwise, it's basically the same stuff. They may have gone slightly more trebly this time in the mix, and the drums are a little more mechanical than usual, but otherwise, you get what you pay for in a Pathology album. No surprises.
• Pathology (2017) After a 3 year break (they managed to release a yearly album for 7 years in a row), the band is back with a self titled album. Self titled albums are generally reserved for an album the band feels sums up the band's experience as a whole, and I suppose this qualifies. But then again, considering the consistency of the band, I think all of their albums qualify. No surprises, gargly death metal with fast drums and moshable bits. Straight forward 4:4, some good riffs, some filler, a very solid release but nothing instantly classic. Enjoyable just like their other stuff, lets see if they start annual albums again.
• Reborn To Kill (2019) A bit of a departure for the band. And by that I mean, 95% of the stuff is the same, gargled vocals, big thick production, heavy riffs. There are a few acoustic intros and almost symphonic elements that show the band is experimenting a bit. But the big departure is the drums. No fast doublebass. Like at all. Like it might be somewhere but if it is there, I totally missed it. I assume this choice was to try something a little different (or Dave Astor's legs were hurting), but by removing that trick from the arsenal, you have basically two beats for the whole album, skank beats and suffo blasts. And that gets a little old. The band's songs already tend to bleed together somewhat, so simplifying further just increases the blend. Anyways, despite this one issue, the riffs are generally strong. And its well performed. But ya, not digging this as much as previous efforts.
• The Everlasting Plague (2021) Like their last album, a little bit of a mixed bag. The core elements are there, but also a few more symphonic elements. Thankfully, while not as crazy as older albums, the drums are more varied this time with some slower parts but also faster parts, and the double bass has returned. They have more "melodic" riffs in this one, some of them work, but others seem a little generic. Best song on the album is 'Viciously Defiled', which has some nice tapped riffs followed by heavy chunky bits. Expriments like 'As The Entrails Wither' I don't think are as successful, which has a strong blues vibe to it (think Entombed's "Wolverine Blues"). It's a solid album, but I think some of these songs aren't going to get a lot of replay, at least from me. I'd rate it a good 7 out of 10.
• Unholy Descent (2024) Much improved. This album focuses more on the brutal aspects of the band (no more symphonic elements here), and in general is just a catchy riff machine. Great songs that have some technical aspects, but stay straight forward enough to headbang to. The mix is excellent, very scooped sound, so the perfect mix of low and highs to provide the best punch to the face. Overall one of their best efforts in the past decade, fans of the band, especially old school fans, should be plenty happy.
  

• Harlot (2014, EP) Technical Djent Deathcore. So imagine general djent Style breakdown-esque lower riffing with very noodly neo-classical scale based stuff, lots of time signature changes, and then super angry yelling over top. The production is great, the musicianship superb, and its a lot of fun, but the riffs aren't terribly memorable. If you dig Periphery and Volumes you may dig this, but they do need to work on reducing the chaos a little to get something that stick with you more. 5 song EP, also available in an instrumental only version.
  

• Slamaholics Mixtape (2021, EP) Pretty standard brutal death metal / slam with super slow chunky riffs and the occasional fast blasting bits. This EP is short, 7 songs but only 13 minutes. If you know the style, there isn't anything new here, but its done expertly with maxmimum impact and gargles so low they will peel the paint off your walls. A fun little EP.
• Human Pudding (2022, EP) This is so similar to their last EP, you could easily combine both of them into a single album and people may not be able to tell where one ends and the other begins. But that's not a bad thing. Slam done in an expert manner with super low guitars, inhuman vocals sounds, high moshability, silly sound clips, all the fixins. If you dig slam, this second short EP is just what the doctor ordered.
• PF Radio (2023, EP) The EPs keep coming, and again, 4 tracks of high quality slam. Lots of soundclips (not just at the beginning of a song, but all throughout) that works well as signposts to differentiate the songs and tell the audience where you are in the album. If you liked their first two EPs, this one will equally impress.
• The G Code (2024) First full length (??) from the band, it's 11 songs, but most are so short that the whole album likely takes up max 20 minutes. Pretty similar to the band's older material, well produced slam with ridiculously gargled vocals. Expect to hear the same slow sludgy chromatic riff played again and again, but where the band gets creative is in how they spice it up, combining some rap elements, sound clips, lots of guest vocals, even a DJ doing scratching at one point. Now I've certainly heard metal and rap mixed before, some do it well, many do it horribly. But I haven't heard much Slam mixed with Rap, where the words are delivered as slow and plodding as the riffs that are behind them, it almost turns them into chanting. A really interesting sort of fusion. The album is short enough to keep things fresh, and slam fans will love that snare sound. Recommended.
  

• Periphery (2010) Fans of Meshuggah, Mnemic, Synthetic Breed or Textures will know what to expect from this math-metal / progressive band. First, the rhythm guitars and bassdrum are locked together in that well known Meshuggah style of oddly counted start-stop riffs, while the snare and hihat keep perfect 4/4 time. The drumsound is a little more mechanical than Meshuggah though, think Devolved and you get the general idea. The guitars alternate between the bassy rhythms and lightning fast scale based flourishes, as well as plenty of Thordendal-esque dissonant alarm chords, and spacy solos. The band keeps the variety going with the occasional acoustic bit, as well as samples and keyboards. Vocal wise, it's a mixture of midrange growls and sung stuff. The singing and melodies remind me a bit of the band Extol if you've ever heard them, and I think personally the sung vocals are the weakest part of the band. They just lack oomph. They don't have any dirtiness to them, and they also don't have much body to them in the way that, say, Devin Townsend's vocals have thickness. They're ok, it's not like they destroy the music, but I feel they could be stronger. Production wise, this self produced CD is fantastic, with a large bassy sound and clear highs. Overall the songs go plenty of places I wasn't initially expecting, some good catchy hooks among the carnage. The album closes with a long 15 minute epic. Periphery doesn't get much for originality, but overall I enjoyed the CD, it's obvious the group has talent. We'll see if they can find a little more of their own voice for future releases.
• Periphery Instrumental (2010) Same as their new album, but all instrumental (and only available on itunes). Since my main issue with the album is the vocals, the vocal-less album in some ways is much better. Some of the songs though do miss having vocals though, even vocals that aren't perfect, but others work quite well as instrumentals on their own, like the last 3 songs on the record. Worth looking into.
• Icarus Lives (2011, EP) Random odds and ends surrounding the band's first album. Starts with a short instrumental, that's more of a chugging intro that a unique song. Next is 'Frakk The Gods', which the band describes as a good indication of what the band will be doing for the next album. Overall, it's pretty similar to the material from the first album. Then a tweaked version of the band's song 'Jetpacks Was Yes!', the only real difference is a lot more reverb and echo, and the vocals have slightly different melodies. Then the album version of 'Icarus Lives', followed by 3 remixes. The remixes are dance remixes, not harsh techno remixes like from Fear Factory, so they're really not my thing, and will be forever skipped in my iTunes. The album ends with 'Captain On' and 'Eureka', formerly only available if you bought the album in electronic form from iTunes or amazon. Both are excellent songs. One nice thing is some of the angry vocals on the newer songs are far better than the originals. They just seem to have more body to them, rather than sounding as hoarse. Also contains a DVD with music videos and such, again, not my thing, so no real review. You'll probably only listen too half of the album continuously, but it's worth buying for the 4 new / rare songs if you don't have the rare songs already.
• Periphery II (2012) Considering "Periphery I" was my favorite album of a few years ago, this sequel had a lot to live up to. And it's done a decent job. Obviously, a common problem with the second album from a band is they had like 10 years to write and refine music for their debut album, but only 1-2 years to write for the second, and so generally second albums can be a bit of a let down. And this suffers a bit from that, but only slightly. Periphery II has a lot more variety to it, some of the music is much more pop influenced, there's more electronica overall, but there are also some super heavy songs as well. Stand out parts include the intro to 'Have A Blast', which just contains a completely sick chord progression. I really like the song 'Ji', it's a bit lighter, but has some cool chords and a nice rhythm solo section in the middle of the song. Then you have some more "standard" songs like 'MAKE TOTAL DESTROY', that fall very much into the type of music found on their debut. And the album closer 'Masamune' has this super sick sludgy ending to it which is a great way to end the album. I don't care much for the song 'Scarlet', it's the most rockin song on the album and doesn't contain any interesting twists. Vocals on this album are much better than on the first, the growls sound thicker, and the singing has a little extra body to them. Still not my favorite vocal style, but it doesn't bug me as much as before. Overall, I really like this album, I don't think it'll take the top spot in this year's top 10, but there's a lot of aggression, melody, crazy chord progressions and a heavy dose of variety to help keep all the songs distinct. Impressive work, I think this band has a long career ahead of them.
• Clear (2014, EP) What an awesome idea. Here's the premise. The band creates a theme, and then all 6 members of the band write their own song around the theme. Then the band plays all the songs and makes an EP. Since this CD is so varied, I'll go song by song. Track 1 is a 2 minute overture that gives us the 3 themes that will appear elsewhere on the album. Then track 2 is written by guitarist Jake Bowen, and is a really happy energetic song, with an excellent verse melody, in fact, it may be one of the rare times I really like Spencer's vocals. Next comes drummer Matt Halpern's song, which is my least favorite on the album (feel free to add your own joke about how drummers can't write a good melody). It just sounds too simple and derivative. Next is founder and guitarist Misha Mansoor's song, which is a 6 minute instrumental, excellent song, very complex and lots of changes to keep things interesting. Next is vocalist Spencer Sotelo's song, which is probably the heaviest on the album (surprising), maybe they should let Spencer write more music for the band. I love the mix of ridiculously detuned guitar and a dance drum beat ala Prong. Next is bass player Adam "Nolly" Getgood's song, which is also instrumental, but is simpler and super heavy with some really nice tribal drums. Reminds me a bit of some of those old classic Testament instrumentals like 'Confusion Fusion' or maybe a Rush instrumental, of course with super distorted guitar. The final track is a pretty straight forward Periphery type song written by guitarist Mark Holcomb, which has a really nice final chorus, and some fast doublebass and blast beats. The thing I find really sneaky about this album is because the themes they've incorporated aren't obvious, but are hidden in the songs, they've basically turned the album into a game of "find the riff". And so you spend all this time really carefully listening to the songs. And of course, by doing so you enjoy the songs more because you're really concentrating on them. My only gripe is the CD has no booklet and is completely transparent. It's a good art concept for an album named "Clear", but it means you don't get any notes on who wrote the songs and other interesting info that could have come with the album. I'm sure not all of these songs will be loved by all fans of the band, but I found this EP to have great music and a fantastic concept, and I highly recommend it.
• Juggernaut Alpha / Omega (2015) Despite the fact this album is sold as 2 separate albums (the last time I remember that was Guns And Roses 25 years ago), I will review this as a single album since its one continuous story. Ever since the band's first album, there was discussion of Juggernaut, an epic concept album telling a single story. And here we are five years later with the result. While I'm not a fan of every song on the double album, overall the results are great. A few highlights, album "Alpha" starts with an appropriately dramatic intro song, followed by a heavier song that I'm actually not a big fan of. It just doesn't seem to go anywhere, its too mid tempo and random, and ends with jazz? But track 3 hits hard with the band at its 'pop'iest, which of course means a strange time signature mixed with with a strong vocal hook. Then after something a little heavier, we hit the title track which is probably my favorite song on the double album. Like track 3, it has a strong vocal hook, but is a little heavier, especially towards the end, and has some great chord progressions. Its the kind of song you want to yell at the top of a mountain somewhere. Rounding out the album is my favorite heavier song 'Rainbow Gravity' which has the great chaotic start-stop riff with some great shouted vocals. "Omega" is the overall heavier of the two albums, but the songs that resonate with me the most are the ones with the stronger hooks, namely 'Priestess' that has a nice acoustic intro, and 'Stranger Things' with its nice chiming guitar intro followed up by a much heavier composition. The second album title track 'Omega' should be great, as its the longest song and the most epic composition, but I find the pieces of the song don't gel very well, and aren't as memorable as say 'Racecar' from their first album. Anyways, despite a few songs not being my thing, this album has enough spectacular songs that make it a must buy. Nice to see it finally surface after all the teasing.
• Periphery III: Select Difficulty (2016) Sorta the third album for the band, but with 2 EPs and a double concept album as well, really their counting is way off. Still, in many respects this is the successor to their Periphery II album, 11 songs, a ton of variety in terms of feel and atmosphere. The album starts with some heavier material, then shifts into some poppier territory. A lot of the songs remind me a bit more of their first album in terms of vocal melodies and riffs, which is certainly not a bad thing. One thing I loved about Juggernaut is it had like 3 songs right off the bat that were just spectacular, this album doesn't have quite the same instant grab appeal, but after multiple listens, I feel the songs overall are stronger, there may be a few less high of highs, but there are fewer lows in terms of song quality. There's really only one song I dislike with a passion, 'Catch Fire', in which the vocalist goes way too far with the experimentation, adding a rapping section and some whispered stuff that's just horrible. Skip this track at all costs. Otherwise, 'Marigold' has an interesting latin feel to it (if Latin music were commonly played with distorted guitars), 'The Way The News Goes' is an oddity, it's basically a ballad with clean guitars, but then jumps to these crazy fast blastbeats, making it I believe the only ballad I've ever heard with blast beats. 'Remain Indoors' is probably my favorite song on the album, with this offbeat main riff and epic layered guitar parts. Then they hit you with 'Habitual Line-Stepper' that starts with a fast pounding doublebass part. I even dig the album closer 'Lune' a lot, at least until it starts into the riff that sound identical to Radiohead's 'Creep'. Overall, I think all fans of the band will dig this album, it's not quite as instantly catchy as "Juggernaut", but it's stronger on average, and a worthy addition to the collection.
• Periphery IV: Hail Stan (2019) Probably the band's heaviest album to date. Since there's a lot of complexity in the song styles here, I'll go track by track. I'm used to many progressive albums ending with a giant 17 minute epic, but Periphery decides to go the bold move of starting with a 17 minute epic song that wouldn't be out of place on a Dream Theater album. Some parts of the song are too "broadway musical" to me, more apt for a Between The Buried And Me album than Periphery, but some of the later parts are heavy as shit. Then the next two songs are crazy heavy, crushingly so, with detuned guitars, fast double bass and riffs that just slam you in the face. 'Garden In The Bones' is a little more balanced between the angry and the melodic, but still on the heavier side. 'It's Only Smiles' is the first song on the album that's a little more pop metal, taking the otherwise super heavy album in a new direction. It's very catchy, but I think it crosses from melodic to sappy a little too often. I'll let you decide if they went too far. Then 'Crush' goes off into a really odd electronica direction. Experimental for sure, but not a good track IMO, and for a song that's mostly a single repeated riff, why did it need to be 7 minutes? 'Sentient Glow' is back to energetic and melodic, although is generally forgettable. The album ends with a 10 minute ballad with heavier parts, although I feel it isn't as catchy and memorable as the songs that ends the band's last two albums. Overall, I like some of this material a lot, some is only soso, my favorite parts tend to be the heavier bits towards the beginning of the album. I think overall fans of the band will dig it.
• Live In London (2020, Live CD) Live CD of one of their recent shows. The sound quality is great, and the performance is spot on, but I feel it suffers from two related issues. One, song selection wise, they focus a ton on their 4th album, which is fine, but it means you're basically getting a redo of their most recent album, just live this time. And the second related issue is that the songs are so similar to their album versions that there isn't a lot of new here to get excited about. Obviously the band isn't gonna improvise a ton, but adding some new stuff to the songs, or a new take on a song would give us something unique to this CD. They do end the concert with 'Lune', one of my favorite songs from them, so that gives bonus points, but not sure this live album is worth it if you have all their other material. Well done, but lacking.
• Periphery V: Djent Is Not a Genre (2023) A step up from their last album. While not bad by any means, Periphery IV just didn't have as many standout riffs as their previous work, and this album is a little more balanced with the super catchy memorable stuff. Case in point, track 1, "Wildfire", the first two minutes are pretty standard heavy but indistinct Meshuggah like chugging. But then the chorus kicks in and does a chord progression I feel I've never heard before. An hour later, the riff is playing in my head while I'm doing something else. Catchiness achieved! Track 2 is a heavy but poppy song that makes all sorts of chord twists and turns. Then the song 'Silhouette' is almost a boy band electronic ballad (not really my thing, but points for really pushing the envelope). 'Zagreus' pushes the heaviness again, and then the album ends with 2 10min+ long songs, including 'Thanks Nobou', captures both the heaviness and more melodic elements of the band before ending with a movie score style keyboard piece. Overall, a very satisfying album.
  

• Alacrity for Contemptuous Dissonance (2021) Been listening to a lot of metal recently where it's easy to say where they got their sound. These guys sound like Dying Fetus! These guys sound like Carcass! These guys sound like Immolation! This band is harder to nail down, and so I have to give them the award for sounding familiar while not really sounding like anyone in particular. In general, the usual formula of super fast guitars over top inhuman blasts and doublebass. But they also add a lot of squawks to the mix, as well as atonal bits that sound vaguely like modern Gorguts (the name of the album does contain "Dissonance" afterall). Super thick guitar sound, intense, intense music. A few good songs like the main riff in 'Cataclysmic Phantasmal Portrait' that's quite memorable, but other parts are just too violent and fast to really stick with you, beyond that vague sensation of your ears being violated. Enjoyable album overall, well worth a listen.
  

• Cult Of The Initiated (1997) Good straight ahead death metal. Don't expect anything too original, but this release managed to keep my attention with some nice riffs and some good songs. Vocal styles range from growling to black metal screams. The production is good with lots of bass and a thick sound. The band isn't quite as tight as I like, but it does give it a more live feeling. Anyways, so not much innovation, but better than a lot of the stuff out there.
• Blood For The Gods (1999) A surprisingly vicious second album. While in a similar vein to their last album, the band turns up the intensity a notch, and still manages to write memorable songs. The production is great, plenty of bass and treble. The drums are strong in the mix, but it doesn't detract. The band really has a good balance of intensity vs memorable riffs, not just blasting for blastings sake, but to push the songs where they need to be. Plenty of tremolo picking, squawks and lower chugging. A very solid release, worth the cash.
• Slaughtering the Faithful (2002) Similar to their last album, but I don't like the production as much. Seems kinda muffled on the top end. Drum wise, lots of blasting and double bass, in fact it's mostly double bass through the entire album like that guy in Krisiun. Definitely a brutal over the top album, fast fast playing with some angry vocals, and good songs. If you liked their previous album, you'll probably like this one.
• Keys To The Underworld (2018, Single) It's been 16 since the last Pessimist. And we finally get, well, a single. Why not a new album? Well, I guess we should be happy with what we get, even if 3 minutes and 49 seconds of new music in 16 years seems a bit thin. The style of this song is pretty much identical to their previous work, although the recording quality has gone up a notch. And the riffs are indeed memorable and fast. Hopefully this is the beginning of a new chapter for the band, and the next track comes much faster.
  

• Malleus Maleficarum (1988)
• Consuming Impulse (1989)
• Testimony of the Ancients (1991) A pretty straight forward death metal album. Overall they sound a lot like the band Death, although since this band is a contemporary with Death, maybe they both stole a little from each other. A great example is the song 'Presence Of The Dead', which could easily be off of Death's "Individual Thought Patterns", which came out 2 years later. In between each song is a more experimental interlude, which helps break up the album. Strong songs are the key here, even though this album is old and may not have the best production, the songs are strong and so this is well worth getting.
  
• Spheres (1993) Every once in awhile you get a death metal album that's so different, it changes everything. Like Gorguts' "Obscura" album. I remember someone I knew who was friends with the band told me "Their new album is going to be revolutionary!", and I was like "Really? Gorguts? I mean, they're a good band, but they're not exactly progressive." Then I head the album, and I was like "Wow, he was right, this is something totally new". And of course, as happens frequently with something new, a ton of people say "This sucks, why doesn't the band do more stuff like their older material". Then years later, the album is considered a classic and has influenced a ton of people. Well, I was told a very similar story about Pestilence's "Spheres" album, a small death metal band from Holland who decided to do something really different. So I finally grabbed this album, and it is indeed pretty different. The songs all contain basically two threads. The first thread contains all the trapping of a normal death metal band, raspy lyrics, doublebass, lots of thrashing riffs. But the second thread is the guitar synth that is played overtop. The synth is very avant-guard, you've all heard the style, notes seemingly played at random creating something super unharmonic. So you have these two things played together, and it works sometimes, and other times not so much, but regardless, it's an interesting experiment and I can see why this album grew on people over the years. One of the best example of things clicking is the song 'Personal Energy', where the synth and the band work together towards a common goal, as opposed to other songs where they are doing something so completely different that it's like you're listening to two different songs at the same time. I also wish the production value was better, everything is mixed quite quiet without a lot of bass. The closest thing I've ever heard to this would be Fred Thordendal's "Special Defects", which was also inspired by jazz and avant-guard music. Anyways, highly recommended album, it may take a number of listens to get into, but even if you hate it, I bet you'll still be impressed with how creative it is.
  
• Resurrection Macabre (2009) While the band's heyday was in the early 90s, I never really got into them, so the review of this their comeback CD will have to be given without the context of their original work. The band overall sounds a lot like Exmortem, straight forward death metal that's medium fast in spots, some slower chunkier parts, and a few odd sounding chord progressions that remind me a little bit of Immolation. The vocalist is midranged and sound a lot like the guy from Morta Skuld if you remember that band (or just a tiny touch of Obituary would be another good comparison). Overall, the album is very solid, nice riffs, nice production (the guitar sound is especially nice when palm muting), my only real issue is that the songs are too simple. They tend to repeat riffs a lot, over and over again, so at the end of the song you may have only heard 3-4 different riffs. So while the songs are a little simple for my taste, at least the riffs they do play are great riffs. Nothing out of the ordinary or revolutionary here, but really well played death metal, I found the CD very enjoyable.
• Doctrine (2011) With their previous CD growing on me everyday, I was excited to hear about their new one on the way. And it didn't disappoint. Same general style, fantastic guitar tone again, the thing I really love is the unexpected riffs, lots of odd chord progressions that make listening to the CD a lot of fun. This CD has a few more odd fills to it, a nod to the band's more progressive jazz influenced past I suppose, like the bass player uses a number of slaps and slides in the same general style as Steve DiGiorgio from Death. Really high quality songs, this album will be in my daily rotation for quite awhile.
• Obsideo (2013) Really impressive album. In the same vein as their last two, but everything seems to be gelling just a little more. Love all the dissonant riffs, also some samples and keyboard reminiscent of their highly progressive "Spheres" album. And the guitar tone is just spectacular, every time they palm mute it just feels like a sick ugly monster. Good mix of fast and slow stuff, my favorite song is probably 'Saturation', it's short, but has so many twisted low heavy riffs. Gotta recommend this one highly, the riffs are high quality, it has enough experimentation to keep things interesting, and just fantastic sound. Well done guys!
• Hadeon (2018) An interesting experiment for the band. Or is this their new direction? Regardless, this album has some of the progressive parts of the band, such as the odd atonal riffs. But strips away 99% of the keyboards, and shifts more towards an old school death metal format with verse chorus, verse chorus, bridge, solo, verse chorus. It's like they've decided to try and write a retro album not unlike their first album. Like they discovered an earlier album that they had never released. The result is decent, but I do miss the more progressive elements the band experimented with later (there are a few exceptions to this general rule, such as the odd vocal effects in the song 'Astral Projection', and a bass solo in 'Subvisions'). The mix is also a little odd, it's very clean, like it's been smoothed out, some of the raw energy replaced. I much preferred the harsher sound of "Obsideo". So in terms of where the band seemed to have been going, it's a bit of a diversion. But as a classic style death metal album, it certainly gives me that 90s nostalgia. Well worth a listen.
  
• Exitivm (2021) The follow up to the more old school "Hadeon", and it's a bit of a return to form. So returning after their hiatus are the keyboards, and they are well integrated into the music. Also back is the sharper guitar tone, which is a welcome element after the less distorted tone from the last one. But my biggest issue is that they kept the somewhat simpler song structure from the last album, especially towards the beginning. A number of the songs are at a single midpaced tempo, and the riffs play again and again before moving onto the next, without a ton of fills or bridge elements to spice things up. Even the highly impressive doublebass work is pretty much straight pummeling without a lot of variation. That doesn't mean the songs are bad, and the later tracks I feel have a little more bite, like the title track has some great odd chunky riffs and then some disquieting keyboards in the "chorus" section for example. And 'Immortvos' has a really nice chunk and dive bomb riff in the center that's a real ear grabber. But I hope next time they keep pushing on the progressive parts, and vary the tempo and time signatures a bit more.
  

• Terrifyer (2004) Some of the most intense grindcore you're likely to find. After a short intro, expect an instant ear shattering scream, a scream so piercing you're likely to lose control of your vehicle if you foolishly decided to take your first listen in the car like I did, so be-warned, may cause car wrecks. Style wise, this is less Nasum and more Cephalic Carnage, however, unlike CC they retain a pretty consistent style all the way through, no strange diversions into freeform jazz, just screaming and blasting. Productionwise, it's all about treble, the nails on the chalkboard effect, whether it be the guitars, the apparent complete lack of bass guitar or the vocals. That's usually a bad thing in my book since I'm a bass fan, but considering how integral the treble motif is to their style and how effective it is, I feel comfortable putting it into the category of style and not bad engineering. The vocalist is especially harsh, whether yelling or screaming, is he using a megaphone? Because his voice has that same tin-y quality you get from shouting into one. 21 tracks, most less than a minute, expect a lot of super speed craziness with a few rockin bits here and there. Like a tornado that's just blown down your house, Pig Destroyer is fast, furious, extremely vicious, and you may need a little peace and quiet afterwards to recover from the experience.
• Phantom Limb (2007) All you've come to expect from the band, just done even better. The mix is vastly improved (with more bass, even though the sound still favors the treble). Plenty of vicious screams through that megaphone, super fast guitars, ridiculous drumming. The songs on this CD really shine compared to Terrifyer, with quite a number of cool and memorable riffs. Not that their last album had bad songs, these are just a little catchier overall. The drumming could be a little tighter, but considering the focus of the band on being super crazy, it's not that much of a detraction. This music really makes you want to move, whether you're at home, in the office, on the bus, you just wanna grab something and smash it. Grindcore fans, this is a must purchase.
• Book Burner (2012) Don't expect any major style changes here, the band hasn't re-invented themselves or anything. Just fast and furious grindcore. The recording quality has gone down a notch sadly, general lack of bass guitar again, not as bad as "Terrifyer", but I preferred the mix on "Phantom Limb" a lot more. The songs are good, the energy is terrific, your ears will indeed be brutalized. If you liked their other albums, you'll eat this one up guaranteed.
• Head Cage (2018) More intense grindcore in all the right ways, and damn, the good production is back and in spades! An excellent mix that really smacks you in the face, probably their best sound yet. The ratio of groove to pure speedy blasting is a little more on the groove side this time, but still expect plenty of pure grinding moments. Material from this album is going to kill live, this music is meant for moving and I can just see the carnage in the pit. Great album, get your copy today.
• The Octagonal Stairway (2020, EP) 5 song + 1 intro EP from the band. The first 3 tracks have been previously released as singles or on promotional albums, and are the usual buzzsaw grindcore we expect. But then the EP shifts into a more industrial / doom zone, starting with a 1 minute intro where we get to listen to a news broadcast about disasters, followed by 2 tracks (one of which is 11 minutes) of slow pounding drum machines with sampled rain and spoken word segments speaking of the doom of society. Nine Inch Nails would be proud. Kinda fun having the album split this way, worth grabbing for the first 3 songs alone (if you don't already have them), and the rear end of the album is good atmospheric music for 3 am when you don't specifically need your head ripped off.
  

• The Ferocious Conquest of the Slum (2017) Brutal Death Metal from Italy in the same general style as Devourment. So lots of slow groovy bits followed by crazy spurts of gravity blasts and tremolo picking. Imagine groovy metal with the occasional seizure. Drums are provided by Davide Billia (is there any Italian death metal band this guy doesn't do drums for?) and are the usual combination of insane tightness and insane speed. While there isn't a ton of variety here, the songs have plenty of good riffs, the guitar sound is nicely distorted and smash to the face brutal, and overall if you're a fan of the sub genre, this release is highly recommended. Now just tel me how we're supposed to chant a band name like this after the show?
  

• Universe (2000) Reviewed by The Wolf: Debut album by the 'band' Planet X (not to be confused with Derek Sherinian's first solo album by the same name), which by Sherinian's account will "[play] their instruments so fiercely, that they would strike fear in the hearts of all musicians". This is a solid collection of music, and definitely sets the tone for what to expect from this band, but it's not their strongest. The production is a bit flat, and some tracks seem to drag replaying the same themes over and over. It feels like they are holding back somewhere. When leads and solos do come, they are great and complement the main groove of the song. Must hear: "Clonus", "Dog Boots", "Warfinger".
• Moonbabies (2002)  Reviewed by The Wolf: This is the album blows their debut out of the water. I'm not sure what changed, the line-up is fairly the same. Maybe Donati wrote a few more songs? Regardless, we're presented with more up-tempo songs with much more interesting themes. Leads and solos appear sooner, and more frequently. The production is slightly more lively. These songs contain much more interaction between the guitar and keyboards. The drumming is also amazing, Donati sounds like a completely different animal. Must hear: "Moonbabies", "The Noble Savage", "Interlude in Milan".
• Quantum (2007) Reviewed by The Wolf: After a long break, the band returns with probably its the best effort by far, eventhough most all songs are credited to Donati. The songs are slower paced, with less technical acrobats, but all the themes are strong and memorable. (I think each musicians performance within these themes are the technical acrobats.) This time we've got excellent production, which each instrument sitting perfect in the mix. Donati reinvents himself again, and also includes his 1999 song 'Alien Hip Hop'. This guy is like 50, still slammin' away with surgical prescion. We also have a few more special guests, and songs which seem to have been written specifically for them. Must hear: "Alien Hip Hop", "The Thinking Stone", "Quantum Factor".
  

• Afterlife (1991, Demo)
• Ecoside (1992) The songs are very catchy, well written, and their speed is unparalleled in virtually all respects (they have lots of nice slow riffs as well.) The guitars sound like an angry hive of hornets, and the double kicks are the fastest in the business.
• Demo '94 (1994, Demo)
• Betrayed (1996) I was disappointed with this CD. The double kicks are very low in the mix, you can barely hear them (the whole production needs more bass and a thicker sound). Definitely one of the most technically proficient bands I've heard, but the songs have so many changes and are in such weird time signatures that it's difficult to find any decent groove in them. Probably too technical for it's own good.
• Promo CD '98 (1998, Demo) Similar in vein to their last CD, but the song writing has vastly improved. I still miss the incredibly brutal speedy style of their first CD, but this promo is a great example of what I'd have to call "musicians metal". The rhythms are complex with a capitol "C", the band remains tight but still has this loose, improvised quality to the performance. The production is quite good, especially for a demo, with only minimal noise, and decent bass. And, as mentioned before, good song writing, which is needed to hold such complex riffs together and to keep listener interest. Probably not of interest to people who just want to mosh, but good listening music, especially for other musicians.
• Into Darkness (2001) While still not as intense as their "Ecoside" cd, this is a lot closer to those roots than "Betrayed" was. Good song writing and plenty of interesting hooks makes for good listening. This is not the "go for the throat" style of cd, rather it's a strong collection of complex rhythms, alternate picking and offbeat fills. As I said of their last demo, "Musicians music", but not so complex as to go over the head of the casual listener. Fans of thrash or technical death would do well to take a listen.
  

• A Beautiful Sickness (2003) Rooted strongly in the tech metal sector (or math metal, depending on your preference), Project: Failing Flesh incorporates some of the vibe of a simpler Meshuggah with the symphonic elements of Anacrusis' "Screams And Whispers" album. Basically, it's thrash with a few blast beats thrown in now and again, and some keyboard and string elements. Overall, the combination proves to be quite effective. It was actually a nice surprise, putting the CD into my player I wasn't really expecting something this good. Production is excellent, it's self produced but better than most bigname studio recordings out there. Riff wise, some complex time signature stuff with some more chugging riffs, very tight, complex drums but nothing unnecessarily technical, vocals are screamed throughout. If I had one knit it would be at a few of the songs tend to meander a bit too much, the songwriting could be just a tad tighter, but that's something that comes with age and experience. Ok, two knits, the name of the band is a bit long, you want something snappier so you can chant it at concerts with ease, that ain't gonna happen here :) Anyways, I'll be very interested hearing more from this band in the future, this cd is well worth grabbing. Watch out for this band in the future.
• The Conjoined (2007) There's gotta be nothing worse than having a completed album who's release date just keeps getting pushed back. With an originally intended release date of Spring 2006, "The Conjoined" is finally available for mass consumption over a year later, and the results are pretty darn cool. First off, the production on this CD is bigger than their last. Perhaps its a few extra overdubs, or just a touch of reverb, but the guitar sound on this cd isn't as dry as on "A Beautiful Sickness" (not that the old production was bad, it's just if you're gonna change things, this was a cool way to change 'em). Otherwise, it's pretty similar to their debut. This band has a solid math metal / thrash foundation, and on top they experiment with strings, horns, keyboards, and various synth sounds. But the thing I really like about this CD is they rarely let the experimentation get out of hand. The weirdness tends to complement the songs, instead of hijacking them. My current favorite track is 'Surface Noise', which has this awesome sludgy riff which is doubled on horns. The speedy album opener 'Final Act Of Treachery' is a nice one as well. Perhaps another fast song in the middle would have helped the pacing a bit, but optherwise things flow pretty well. If you enjoy thrash or math metal, and enjoy a band that's trying something a little different, check this cd out, it's impressive stuff.
• Count Back From Ten (2010) Another solid release from the band. They sure know how to keep things interesting. The first track is sort of tribal / industrial with some good pounding drums. Track 2, 'White Light Response' (my favorite on the album), is the speediest song, with some good blast beats and excellent thrashy riffs. And just when you think the track is a pretty straight forward song, they add a few odd piano samples in there that compliment the music perfectly. Track 3 is just the slowest, sludgiest thing, which uses the whammy bar (or is it the pedal?) to great effect. The slow pace also gives the album a good breathing spot after the first two faster tunes. I won't go into details on every song, but you get the idea, lots of variety and each song is definitely it's own thing. The only other track I'll mention is a cover of Prong's 'Irrelevant Thoughts', it's well done, although I wish the band had modified it a bit more and gotten a little more experimental with it. I also got a bit of a laugh when I realized that Prong comes right after Project: Failing Flesh alphabetically in my itunes, so I can play either this version or the original without the need to scroll. The production, as always, is excellent. If you like something a little thrashy/industrial with some groove, and just a touch experimental, I definitely recommend this album, it's really enjoyable.
  

• Primitive Origins (1987)
• Force Fed (1988)
• Beg To Differ (1990) The drums are simple and to the point, and keep a strong pounding rhythm. The riffs over top are nice and crunchy, and the tunes, while almost commercial in their simplicity, are catchy and well thought out. A good, strong album.
• Prove You Wrong (1991) This is the transition album between the metal "Beg To Differ" and the Dance-metal "Cleansing", and as with any transition, they're not always smooth, and sometimes it takes 2 albums to get it right. Tracks 1, 2 and 3 are great songs that show off the band's ability to make an unusual sounding song with riffs that are actually quite ordinary (thanks to one hell of a good groove and inventive phrasing). Track 4, the title track, is just bad, some sort of jazzy rock thing that is totally out of place. Track 5 is better, but Track 7 is this slow plodding things that lacks energy. Basically it's hit or miss for the rest of the album, when the band is good, they're good, but when they're bad, my finger reaches for that track skip button. Productionwise, the sound is sort of far away, slightly muffled, similar to the production off "Beg To Differ". I can still recommend getting this album because it does have some good tracks, but if you have an ipod or cd burner, you may wish to remove a few songs for optimum listening enjoyment.
• Whose Fist Is This Anyway? (1992, EP)
• Cleansing (1993) While the singer sounds like a hoarse Brian Adams, and the drummer is just this side of dance, the incredibly powerful and brutal guitar sound reminds the listener that this is still metal. And I don't think there's anyone on this earth who can say that "Snap your fingers, snap your neck" isn't a great song.
• Rude Awakening (1996) Continuing where the last album left off. Razor sharp guitar riffs ontop of  simplistic dance oriented drum beats (acoustic and programmed). As always the songs are real catchy, the production is great. Their last album I tend to find myself only listening to the first 4 songs over and over again, this album is a little more solid all the way through, later songs holding their own against the songs that begin the album. Only other differences is the drums seem even more dance oriented this time, and the chunky riffs have even more squawks, provided by everyone's friend the whammy pedal. No surprises here, if you liked their last album, more of the same.
• 100% Live (2002) Well, Prong has returned, or at least, Tommy Victor has returned with a new band playing Prong tunes. This is sort of a "Hey, we're back" kinda live recording, a precursor to a new studio album early next year, and as far as that goal is concerned, it's quite successful. As for whether this is a must have cd, well, the tunes are say 85% to 95% as good as their studio album equivalents, with very little crowd interaction, studio quality production and no extended songs, so really there's nothing sensationally different here (although there is one new song performed which is pretty decent). If you already have all their albums, this live cd is probably not 100% necessary. But it does get me excited about a new album, so hey, take it for what it's worth, a reintroduction to a good band, and a promise for some good shit to come.
• Scorpio Rising (2004) First off, this album has a lot of things going against it. Number 1, while Tommy Victor is and has always been the main force behind the band, he's the only remaining member in the group from their last album. Number 2, there's been a 8 year gap between albums. And 3, the whole reunion thing usually goes badly with respect to new music, a band that was popular gets back together to relive some glory from the past, and really they have nothing left to say musically. Well, I am happy to report that this absolutely NOT the case. The result in fact is probably one of my favorite Prong albums to date. The sound is similar to what we know, but with a few enhancements. First, the drumming is slightly more rock oriented, rather than the very simple drumming on "Rude Awakening" or "Cleansing". Second, Tommy experiments with his vocals a bit more, doing a little more singing, etc, some work better than others, but overall the variety is nice. But primary to keeping my interest of course are the songs, and there's some really good stuff here. Quite a variety of sounds and moods, and riffs that stick in your head. In fact, it's almost annoying how hard it is to get these songs out of your brain, ahhhhh!!!. I keep trying to listen to other cds, but half way through the cd I realize I'm humming a tune from the new Prong. Make the voices go away! One funny song note is there's a tune on the cd that is almost 100% identical to "Snap Your Fingers", just with different riffs. The song structure is almost identical, and the feel of the riffs are identical, even though the actual notes being played are different. Kinda strange, a tip of the hat I guess, since it's obvious from the rest of the songs the band isn't hurting for ideas. Anyways, if you like the band, you MUST get this album as soon as you can.
• The Vault (2005, DVD) 2 DVD set with 3 shows (after their return in 2002) and behind the scenes stuff. The first show is 20 songs from 2002 in the Netherlands. The camerawork has a nice and even pace to it, and plenty of different vantage points. Performance wise, they play a lot of material from all their albums, and they play most of their best songs (including 'Snap Your Fingers', 'Whose Fist Is This Anyways', 'Beg To Differ', 'Controller', and ends with 'Cure Rate', even though the DVD labels it as 'Unconditional'). The sound is excellent with a thunderous bass, and the guitartone is very percussive with very little tone going on, which makes for an abrasive sound that I really dig. And the band is certainly tight, when they cut a not off, it's just gone. The second is a short 6 song set at the outdoors "With Full Force" festival, 5 song of which are repeated songs from the last concert. Again, excellent production, just a little less highend treble, so the sound is more low and rumbling than razorblade sharp. The third show is 13 songs from The Hultsfred Festival in 2003. Again, fantastic production (a little more reverb this time), and a rendition of 'Inner Truth' and 'Avoid Promises' off the new record, as well as again several repeats (All 3 shows include copies of 'Snap Your Fingers', 'Whose Fist Is This Anyways' and 'Another Worldy Device'). The behind the scenes stuff has a few super short interviews and a few bootleg quality show clips, nothing vital. By putting 3 excellent concerts together (even with the repeated songs), this DVD manages to get my recommendation. If they decide to do a new DVD in the future, I'd like to see some more in-depth interviews and maybe a show or two with the original lineup, but otherwise this is good stuff and I really enjoyed watching it.
• Power Of The Damager (2007) Not quite as good as their last album, but still pretty damn awesome. Style wise, this album is a little more metal, and a little less dance. So while the band doesn't totally abandon the style that made albums like "Cleansing" or "Rude Awakening" so popular, they have made the songs a little harder and heavier, with way less dance beats, and more double bass. The songs are more in the vein of their "Beg To Differ" album (but with modern day production, of course). The only reason I am not totally in love with this cd is there's a little too much filler material for my taste. But when the band has it, they really have it, from the chorus on "Power Of The Damager" to the catchiness of "The Banishment". I'd say at least a dozen new Prong classics debut on this cd, and for that reason, it's a must buy, even if some of the later tracks are a little unmemorable.
• Carved Into Stone (2012) Even further back along the metal path Prong goes. The metal focus of their last album goes even deeper on this release, as we're treated to not just fast double bass, but even blast beats on the first song on the album (don't worry, the dance influence isn't totally gone). Otherwise, my review is pretty similar to my review of their last album: They have some great songs like 'List of Grievances' and the opener 'Eternal Heat', but they also have some filler material like 'Ammunition' and 'Reinvestigate', so it's a bit of a mixed bag. The good songs though are great, all the catchiness and energy you'd expect from the band. But this is definitely the weakest of their last 3 albums, worth checking into for the good songs, but you'll probably be hitting "skip" more often than you should be for a Prong album.
• Unleashed In The West - Official Bootleg (2014, Live)
• Ruining Lives (2014) Wow. The band has been going back too their metal roots as of late, but this album pushes it even further, and is really by far their angriest and thrashiest album I've heard. They start off with two fast songs right off the bat to put you in the mood, and then they do their usual mix or slower stuff, dancier stuff etc, but overall a lot more speed, doublebass, Skank Beats, etc. I really dig their song 'The Book of Change', not only is it super fast, but the drumming is fantastic, I rarely comment on Prong's drumming, but the fast fills at the end are great. And overall the drum sound on the entire album has some extra clarity and a big big sound. The mix is great, pretty much all the songs are strong, Tommy's Vocals have some extra girth to them, an excellent album from the band filled with lots of new classics. It's great seeing a band that's been around for so long continue to produce fresh and powerful material. Great job!
• X (No Absolutes) (2016) This album is a little more laid back compared to the band's last couple of thrashier releases. A little more groove going on here, although it still has a few fast songs like 'Sense Of Ease'. Most of the material is good solid stuff, I really dig 'Cut And Dry'. But then there's a number of disappointing songs. Like the singing in 'Do Nothing', which gives the song a sort of ballad feel that seems out of place. And I'm not crazy about 'Ice Runs Through My Veins', it just seems way too simple and run-of-the-mill. And the closer 'With Dignity' has rapping? Overall, its a decent album but with a few songs that I am likely to skip. Try before you buy, I'd recommend their last 3 albums more.
• Zero Days (2017) Now this is more like it. After a bit of a let down on their last outing, this album has huge energy. Like the first 6 songs are super fast, super powerful, I can imagine the mosh pits going crazy for this stuff. They amp up the metal a bit for this release, as well as high quality riffs, stuff that sticks in your brain after only a single play, stuff that sounds fresh and innovative but still holds true to the Prong style. Overall, sounds like Prong drank their coffee and brought their A game, if you dig the band, this is their best release in years.
• Age Of Defiance (2019, EP) A short EP of filler material, not vital to your Prong collection IMO. The first two tracks are new material, both songs are decent, but don't have any hook that sticks in my brain. Then the last 3 are live songs, which are pretty rough sounding, they're soundboard recordings with no crowd sounds so they sound a little like studio recording, but without the polish you'd expect from a studio, so they sorta live in this no mans land. Not good enough to be studio, but doesn't give you the same feel as though you were in the crowd. And one song I think is even out of tune. So ya, love Prong, buy their albums, but can't recommend this release.
• State Of Emergency (2023) What an excellent album. It really starts with a bang, 'The Descent' is one of the fastest and most brutal Prong songs I think I've ever heard. They really went full metal for this opening, I was not expecting it to start off this powerful. Quickly followed by track 2 which leans more into their groove style. Then the album continues to trade off exploring all of the styles that Prong is known for. The standout is the riffs, so many memorable and catchy hooks, even after a single listen you'll have many of the songs etched in your mind, and you'll want to hear them again. If I had any critique, it would be that this album has the bass mixed a little low. Not "And Justice For all" low, but still I'm used to the bass having a bigger presence in Prong's other albums. Really well done, Prong keeps bringing the hits (to the face).
  

• It Shall Come To Pass (1996, Demo)
• Promo 97 (1997, Demo)
  
• Foretold...Foreseen (1998) Pretty standard death metal in the early Skinless / Broken Hope / slow parts of Dying Fetus style. Generally midpaced to slow, low gargly vocals. Production is good, although possibly a little too much low end without enough highend. Not much here to differentiate this cd from all the other stuff out there, but the riffs are pretty memorable, and that's enough to make me happy I bought it. If you still dig Dying Fetus' "Bathe In Entrails" demo and wouldn't mind something similar, check it out.
  
• Our Domain (2002) A much better release in pretty much every respect. The production has much more treble in it without losing the low end. The songs are even more memorable. And while if you really analyze the songs they do still sound like Dying Fetus (from a song structure and riff perspective anyways), upon a casual listen, the similarity is not glaring and as such they don't come off as a me-too band. One of the really cool bits about this cd is how the band uses harmonics in their riffs. You know those Cannibal Corpse songs like 'Pulverized' and 'Orgasm Through Torture' where the band breaks down to this slow riff with great squawks? Well, these guys incorporate that stuff into almost every song, pinch harmonics, natural harmonics, sweep harmonics, you name it. Lots of very moshable bits. A little faster than their previous release as well. Only bad thing, the cover artwork is just plain bad. I mean, I'm sure a lot of people passed this up on the shelf just because the artwork is so atrocious. Music wise however, very, very impressive stuff, I'd say this is a must have for fans of the genre.
• Don't Fuckin' Mess With Texas (2011) After a long hiatus, a new album from the band. Still plenty of Dying Fetus love here, but the key is the riffs are fantastic, very, very memorable. Plenty of "Hell ya!" moments. I love the main riff in 'Reborn Through Death', it has an almost 'God Of Emptiness' by Morbid Angel doomy vibe to it. And the main riff in the instrumental 'Death Conceived' is great, highly headbangable. The album ends with a re-recording of the first song off their first album, which is good, although I didn't mind the original version, so the re-recording isn't as necessary. Overall a very satisfying album, glad the band is back and kickin ass (Texas style, I guess).
• The Beginning (2016) Pretty similar to their previous material, although the album is perhaps a little more vicious, not quite as many moshable bits, with a stronger focus on blasting and intense screams (this album has a new vocalist who's more midrange as opposed to the low gargling of their previous work). The production quality is missing a little of the bass I enjoyed on "Texas", and also, the band isn't quite as tight as I'd like in some spots, which seems odd for a band who's releasing their 4th full length album, but then again the guitarist / founder James Parks II is the only returning musician on this album. But despite those small issues, the song writing is still excellent and the added energy is certainly a good thing. Fans of early 90s death metal will definitely enjoy this new offering.
• Forseen Scriptures (2019) Pretty similar to their last few albums. Early 90s style death metal. Generally quite good, my main beef is with the sound, gone is the bass heavy sound of previous releases, this one is far more nasally. I like there's a bit more treble in here, but why did you have to get rid of the bass? In this day and age, you can successfully have both. Otherwise, song writing is decent, the drumming is noticeably better, not sure if it's the same guy after a lot of practice or a new one. 9 regular tracks and then a re-recording of their 2006 song 'Our Domain'. Prophecy may not release the most innovative stuff, but they have consistently released good albums, well worth a listen, especially if you love the traditional death metal style.

• Protector of Death (1987, Demo)
• Misanthropy (1987, EP)
• Golem (1988)
• Urm the Mad (1989) Pretty standard thrash/death metal. Think old Megadeth of the "Peace Sells" or the "So Far...So Good" era or old Slayer with death metal midrange vocals. The drumming is 100% Slayer style, as well as the wild whammy bar driven solos. The riffs are good and catchy (a lot of slow plodding riffs, with a few faster parts), the production is clean (although the guitars are a little muffled and with a touch too much reverb), but there's nothing really here to set the album apart from stuff I've already heard. The version I have contains 9 tracks and then 4 live bonus tracks, which have almost an identical production to their studio tracks! (maybe the studio tracks were actually recorded live without an audience.)
• Going Place (1990, EP)
• Leviathan's Desire (1990)
• A Shedding of Skin (1991)
• The Heritage (1993)

• Crushing The Individual (1999) Caught somewhere between NIN, Fear Factory, Ministry and videogame music stands the french band Psycho Industry. Well, not really a band, it's pretty much one guy, Marc Dumont. Music like this lives and dies by one thing, and that's the groove it creates, and, well, this album does just fine in that department. It contains 9 tracks of heavily processed, not quite commercial techno-industrial music with distorted guitars, thick beats thanks to a drum machine, and lots of keyboards and samples. The only thing I think needs some work is the vocals, they work most of the time, but other times they seem a little incidental and not well worked into the music. But the riffs are very original and stick in your brain, it's hard to have originality in music that's repetitive in nature, but it's managed here. Really good songs. If you're a NIN fan or you really like the Fear Factory techno remix albums, this is high quality shit and should be checked out immediately.
• Psycho Industry (2003) Whereas their last album was more NIN, this album (16 tracks for over an hour of music) is far more Rammstein, mainly due to those lowish sung vocals that make Rammstein so easily identifiable (and a foreign language, in this case french instead of german). And that really is my only nit with this album. Otherwise, things got a little less industrial, a little more guitar driven, the production has gone up a notch, very mechanical of course with drum machines and samples. A little less experimental, a little more straight forward, but the songs are all really catchy, even after just a single listen I found myself singing along to some of the lyrics. So as I said, the only thing that bugs me is how many of the vocals sound way too much like the far more famous german industrial band, which makes this cd feel a little me-too. I much prefer the yelled vocals of say 'Man Without Soul', that stuff is intense and original. A step forward and a bit of a step sideways for the band, fans of NIN and Rammstein will find plenty to like.

• The Isle Of Disenchantment (2000) Listening to a band's first cd after listening to their second gives you a certain degree of perspective. For example, if their first cd is just ok and their second cd is killer, you can say stuff like "well, this cd older cd is still worth having just so you can see the band's style in its infancy". In this case, while certainly not as amazing as "Scepters", "The Isle Of Disenchantment" in its own right is pretty kick ass and worth owning based on its own merits. While you can hear some of the style that is later perfected on their second album, this album is somewhat more straight forward, something more akin to say the groovy parts of Dying Fetus. Nice production although a little too bass heavy for my taste (imagine a good mix and then someone takes a big sword and lops the head off of the soundwave produced by the music). The songs are catchy and the band is still plenty tight. In general, I'd still recommend picking up "Scepters" first, but get this one quickly afterwards.
  
• The Scepter Of The Ancients (2003) Listening to this cd brought me a moment of simultaneous sadness and joy. The sadness was that it finally hit me, Sinister has broken up and I'll never hear their razor sharp ultra tight music ever again (except in reruns). Then the moment of joy, this band seems to have picked up where the good Sinister cds stopped. Not that this band sounds exactly like Sinister, they actually sound a little closer to Decapitated's "Winds Of Creation" album, but it has the same "holy fuck how can they play those notes so perfectly in unison" tight vibe going on. Did I mention these guys are tight? I mean, holy geez, absolutely perfect picking, and this shit is fast (there are some slower chunky parts as well to keep things balanced song wise). The drumming is equally impressive, very fast blasts and double bass. There's plenty of songs here with a really chunky quick riff and super insane speedy double bass below while the drummer does midpaced quarter notes on top. Vocals are varied from low gargles to crazy high-pitched screams. This is sort of the direction that I had hoped Decapitated would go in their newest record. Instead they went towards slightly simpler songs, which is cool, but this cd fills in that void with very complex riffs that still manage to remain groovy and catchy, not to mention brutal, heavy, and yes, tight as fuck. And to top it off, this cd is one of the best mixes I've heard in awhile with a nice scooped sound and razor sharp guitar tone. Very impressive stuff, a must buy.
• Symbols Of Failure (2006) Very similar to their last album, and I think that's part of the problem really. Yes, you get the super tight picking, the crazy fast and intricate drums, the complex songs, and fantastic production, but there's nothing here to distinguish it from their last album, and the clincher is the songs just aren't as catchy. I've listened to the album 4 times now, and I still can't remember a single specific riff. In my last review I said this is the direction I wish Decapitated had gone, well, in the meantime, Decapitated released their "Organic Hallucinosis" album, which is not only as precise and complex as this cd, but also has some really memorable riffs. So comparing the two, I have to go with Decapitated on this one. That being said, this really is a good cd, the musicianship is stupendous, and I'll keep listening and maybe the songs will grow on me. Still worth looking into, but I preferred "Scepter", and hope the band spends a little more time in the future on the song writing.
• Ob(Servant) (2008) So so at best. This CD generally doesn't cover any new ground, and the riffs just sound kind of bland, sparkle with no substance. And a lot of the songs seem to lack energy, the album is still fast, but for some reason it doesn't strike me as having that spark of inspiration, it just feels like the band is going through the motions. It's not all bad, I do really like the album closer, 'Initiate', not only does it start with a good spooky clean guitar bit, but a few of the faster riffs in the heavier portion of the song sound quite original. But the rest of the album just doesn't grab me. Their last album got better with age, so I hold out hope that after a year of listening to this one it may get better, but currently I'm just not super impressed.
• Initiation (Live CD/DVD, 2010)
• The Inherited Repression (2012) While many of the same elements are here, this album is a little more, shall I say, melodic, than their previous material. Not melodic in a Melodic Metal sense, more melodic as in the same way Slayer's "South Of Heaven" album is more melodic than "Reign In Blood". So overall the album is a little slower, and has a stronger attempt at creating atmosphere using more catchy riffs. While I applaud the band going for something a little different, the melodic bits don't strike me as being super original, and since the speed has been reduced, it doesn't have that going for it either. The album is ok, afraid this one and their last just haven't jazzed me much, I'll stick with their first 3 albums.
• Psycroptic (2015) Basically picks up where the last album left off. A little more melodic, not quite as fast and chaotic. Its decent, but really lacks those "hell ya" moments, riffs that totally stick in your brain and make you want to listen to them again and again. Going back to an album like "The Scepter Of The Ancients", there's just no comparison. It just sounds more vicious. Good but not spectacular, not sure how much airtime this is gonna get in the future.
• As The Kingdom Drowns (2018) Another experiment from the band. Their career started off as fast technical death metal, then they went a little slower and more melodic on the last couple of albums. Now on this album, they've upped the speed back again a bit (thumbs up), kept some of the slightly more straight forward song structures (meh), but then added keyboards and female choir vocals (WTF?). The choir elements don't really bother me, but I'm not sure if they really contribute to the music. It seems the band has decided to take their core sound and take it in slightly different directions every album, to see where it can go. At the end of the day, maybe I'm just old or lack imagination, but I kinda just like the more straight forward technical death metal band from their first 3 albums. There are parts of this that sound just like their earlier material, and then they jump to the choral vocals, and my brain just goes "Something's not quite right here" (A great example is the song 'Beyond the Black'). Anyways, this album is still decent, has some good riffs, is well written, and if you've liked their last couple of albums, you'll likely dig this as well. But I think I'll stick to their earlier material.
  

• Music For Them Asses (1999) Debut for the band (appearing previously on the Grrrr! compilation on HDR), the band has three things going for them. One, they have Devin Townsend as producer. Second, they have the drum god Gene Hoglan perform on the cd, and three, oh ya, the band is actually talented :) Almost a spoof cd, they play metal ranging from death metal, to classic metal (like exodus) to these crazy country tunes that quickly degenerate into speed metal. The concept of the album is that the band is a bunch of hicks from Vancouver who just like heavy music. As such, songs are filled with strange sound clips and samples, and all kinds of wackiness that stops the band from becoming ever truly evil, sort of diet evil. But the wackiness is really just the theme, the music itself is really thick and angry, with excellent production, lots of layered guitars and gene's trademark quick spurts on the kicks. Quite a variety of styles and moods here, but solid song writing holds everything together, a good buy.

• Cooked On Phonics (1995???) A silly concept album, revolving around the story of a fictitious death metal band from poland who become a punk band in order to make money. Sound clips of the band's exploits show up during and in between songs. As far as the music goes, assuming you don't mind punk, the songs are actually really good, especially considering you have Devin Townsend singing, he's always a maniac on vocals. Overall, a nice album with some good tunes, satire and plenty of energy. Not to be taken seriously.

• Mental Prolapse Induces Necrophilism (2007)
• Degenerating Anthropophagical Euphoria (2011) Basically identical to their 'Ignominious Atonement' album. Perhaps the mix is ever so slightly clearer, but otherwise, ridiculously chaotic riffs, ridiculous speed, its almost comical. The album is a little short, but its a load of fun.
• Ignominious Atonement (2015) Disgorge fans rejoice! Putridity does its best to impress with chaotic time signature changes, ridiculously fast drums, sqwacks, and overall carnage. The results are certainly pleasing. I can't say that any of these songs are memorable in the least, but the band is just so over the top that for some reason I can't stop listening. I mean, the drumming is so robotically precise it screams drum machine, and yet apparently this is a real drummer. The vocals are so low and gargly. The riffs have such fast picking I'm not even sure half the time if they're hitting a pitch, and yet the whole band plays in such perfect unison. The degree of craziness we have here just brings a smile to my face. Fans of the brutal death metal genre will certainly enjoy this, and those just interested in having your face peeled off will enjoy as well.
• Greedy Gory Gluttony (2023, EP) Sadly, this just doesn't grab me the way their last two albums did. First, the sound is kind of muffled, not as in your face as previous work. Then the drums are not as precise (I assume because they no longer have Davide Billia doing his thing). And then the songs don't have as many standout moments that grab you by the neck and demand attention. 4 new songs, then a cover of Cannibal Corpse's 'Ecstasy in Decay'. This EP is ok, but if you're new to the band, I'd recommend "Degenerating" or "Ignominius" more.
  

• Collection Of Butchery (2003)
• The Pleasure In Suffering (2005)
• House Of Dementia (2009)
  
• Blood Fetish (2012) One man brutal death metal band. My first thought is wow, drum machines have come a long way in the last 20 years. You can still kinda tell, but it's far more organic sounding than a lot of the drum machines out there. The band sounds in general like Pathology. Plenty of blasts and double bass, good solid riff based death metal with the occasional Cannibal Corpse like tremolo, and midrange to low gargled vocals. The songs are all pretty darn good, it's obvious that Shaun is an excellent song writer, and his skill on guitar is right up there with the best of them. And the production quality and mix are also excellent. As one man bands go, this album is one of the better ones, and well worth checking out.
• Paraphiliac Perversions (2016) My first thought is "man, the production quality really went down on this one". Overall it's pretty similar material, still great guitar work, great riffs, but the sound is really really muffled. Like someone put a big sock over the speaker. For some reason the drums also feel a little more mechanical this time, not sure why since I assume he's using the same drum machine. Great song titles, I remember after album 5 or so, Cannibal Corpse's song titles became more tame, well, this guy keeps the original tradition going with tunes like 'My Semen Rots In You' and 'Puke On It'. Since the riffs are still good, I'd still say this is worth checking out, but hopefully the next album will go back to the clearer production of "Blood Fetish".
• Revel In Lunacy (2020) The one man show continues. Thankfully the good sound is back for this release after "Paraphiliac" that was super oddly mixed. Great riffs and songs as usual, these tunes may in fact be some of the best yet. My favorite song is probably 'No Rest for the Wicked', which has a nice Morbid Angel vibe to it. Not much to say that hasn't already been said in previous reviews, if you were a little iffy after the mix on the last album, have no fear, this one kick serious ass.
  

• Annihilating The Weak (2022) A 2 man band from Belgium, one vocalist, one guitar player and programmed drums. Its funny, this band comes right after the band Putrid Pile in alphabetical order, and there's tons of similarities, both are a 1/2 man affair, and both play a similar style of brutal death metal. Plenty of good riffs, the drum machine isn't as natural as some which detracts a bit. But there's plenty of moshable material here, and good hooks to keep you listening. A good solid album.
  

• Cranial Blowout (1998, EP)
• Cerebral Cereal (2000) Another Unique Leader release, which is probably more than enough description to give you a good idea what these guys sound like. Ok, I'll give more details anyways, Pyaemia is somewhere between Disavowed, Dying Fetus, Vomit Remnants and Disgorge. Pretty standard death metal with lots of blasting, squawks, fast double bass, low gargly vocals. The drums, despite appearing to be a real kit in the booklet, sound very mechanical, at least a few of his cymbals are sampled for sure in the Vomit Remnants style. Good production, the songs are interesting and catchy, I guess my only real problem is that you'd have a hard time telling this band from many of the other bands on the label. There are a few different bits, like this one warbling riff at the beginning of 'Impaled on Stakes' that is very cool. For overall innovation look elsewhere, but if you're digging the other stuff on Unique Leader, and want to hear more in the same style, these guys do deliver high quality stuff.

• Liturgy Of Impurity (1990, Demo)
• Sermon Of Mockery (1993)
• Hatredangeranddisgust (1995, Demo)
• System Of The Animal (1997) Merging elements of death metal and hardcore, the result is something pummeling, groovy and really pissed off. Fans of Scar Culture or Chimaira will get the general drift, vocals remain more death metal like (think Frank from Suffocation), but the band tends to remain a little more on the groove side of things, moshable riffs that then jump to something faster and heavier, then back again. The drumming is pretty awesome, lots of fast double bass underneath midpaced snare drum, followed by occasional blast beats. The guitar sound is very thick, wall of sound type stuff. There's plenty of memorable riffs in here, although the songs themselves tend to bleed together slightly due to a slight lack of variety. An extra intro or two or something a little lighter that then moves into something heavy may have been good as landmarks in the never-ending sea of anger. Also, at 8 songs and 23 minutes, this is a pretty short album, I want more! More I say! Hard to find but well worth getting.
  
• Cruelty Beyond Submission (2003, Rare)
• Age of the Wicked (2007) Totally different from their last album in '97. First off, the band only has founding member Chris Basile (guitars) left. Second, much of the groove and hardcore influences are gone from the first part of the album, leaving something sorta similar to Morbid Angel, and something a little more rockin in the last 3 songs (which were recorded a year earlier). In fact, much of the cd sounds pretty similar to Morbid Angel's "Covenant" album (especially the drum sound and patterns in their first song are quite reminiscent of 'Rapture'). As far as production goes, I guess the word is muffled, but it's not the normal muffled. The guitar sound lacks attack, lacks definition. It's big and bassy, but you can't hear the pick hitting the strings. Imagine taking the guitar sound and placing it in a blender until you get something too smooth. Maybe they suffered from too many overdubs? It's also very obvious that tracks 8-10 were recorded at a different time with a shift in production style. A few of the songs are cool, but many others are a little repetitive. I don't know, I guess a lot of the spark of their older material just seems gone to me. The band has the right attitude, and right level of anger (some of the screamed vocals are particularly good). But they need a few unique riffs, better production, and more variety to the songs. The whole thing just seems sorta rushed to me, like the cd is slapped together. "Hey, we have several different sessions of music, lets stick them together and get something out there so we can start touring." I'd much prefer if they'd recorded everything in a single studio session, fine tuned the sound and performance, and came to the fans with a single unified and powerful vision. Not a bad album, but a step backwards from "System Of The Animal".
• Feast Of Iniquity (2013) Much closer to "System Of The Animal", with more groove, more thrashier bits, but they still keep a little of the flavor of their last album. The result is a much more varied and in my opinion a much more successful album. Plenty of good quality riffs, and the production is nice and thick again, definitely a good mix. Nothing revolutionary, but a good comeback album after a 6 year hiatus, well worth checking out.
• Unholy Requiem (2018) After a 5 year wait, this album is a big letdown. The music is decent, good old school 90s style death metal, but the sound quality is insanely horrible. Everything is super muffled. It sounds like the first demo from a new band, not like the production you'd get from 20 year veterans. I am just stumped as to why the band would allow their music to sound so bad. I did my best to ignore the sound and try and focus on the songs, but it's just so off that the task became really impossible. Gotta give this one a must miss.